Clutch mechanism for power presses



Oct. 26 ,1926.

H. OSSWALD CLUTCH MECHANISM FOR POWER PREssEs Filed June 28. 1924INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 26, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

HER-MAN OSSWALD, OF NIVERVILLE, NEVT YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE V 8c PRESSCOMPANY, OF HUDSON, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CLUTCH MECHANISM FOR POWER PRESSES.

Application filed .Tune 28, 1924. Serial No. 723,023.

This invention relates to novel means for controlling the action of apower press of the type illustrated in United States Letters Patent No.769,955, dated September 13th, 190st, where means are illustrated forlook ing the operating shaft to the drive wheel by the clutch dog, andin United States Letters Patent. No. 880,289, dated February 25th, 1908,where means are illustrated for preventing the locking of the operatingshaft to the drive wheel for more than a single revolution of theoperating shaft in the event the operator should keep the shaftcontrolling treadledepressed a longer time than is necessary. p

This invention is particularly directed to means adjustable for wear fordisengaging the latch from the switch plate after the switch plate hasbeen moved a predetermined distance by the latch, due to the depressionof the operating treadle.

This invention comprises a lever pivotally mounted on an eccentricbushing, said lever having one arm projecting into a circumferentialgroove inthe operating shaft in position to be engaged by the clutch dogwhen the shaft is clutched to the drive wheel, the other arm of thelever being located in position to engage a cam surface on the latch,said eccentric bushing being rotatively adjustable to bring the leverarms into accu rate position with respect to the operating shaft and thelatch, and to compensate for wear on the parts.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a power press of wellknown construction with my latch disengaging lever applied thereto, theparts being in the positions they assume when the treadle has beendepressed to release'the slide from the clutch dog, and the clutch doghas moved around into position to engage the lever and move it torelease the latch from the slide.

Fig. 2 represents an enlarged detail view of the same, with the parts intheir normal position.

Fig. 3 represents a view similar to Fig. 2 with the parts in thepositions shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 41: represents a detail section taken in the plane of the lineIV-IV of Fig. 2.

The pedestal 1 is surmounted by the frame 2, in which frame are mountedthe drive wheel 3 and the operating shaft 4 which is arranged to beclutched to the drive wheel by the spring pressed clutch dog 5 which ismoved nto engagement with the drive wheel by its spring (not shownherein) when the dog is released by the outward movement of the switchplate 6, which switch plate is slidably mounted in its guide frame 7 andyieldingly held at the limit of its inward movement by the usual springs8 for holding the clutch dog released.

The treadle 9 which is pivoted at 10 to the pedestal lis yieldingly heldat the limit of its. raised position by the spring 11. This treadle isconnected by a rod 12 to a rock arm 13 pivoted at 14 to the frame 2.

A latch 15 is pivoted at 16 to the rock arm 13, the hook-end of whichlatch is arranged tobe engaged with and disengaged from an abutment 17on the switch plate 6. This latch 15 is yieldingly pressed toward theabutment 17 by a spring actuated presser pin 18. v

The parts above described are substantially like the parts illustratedand described in the United States Letters Patent No. 880,239,hereinbefore referred to and a specific description of their operationwill therefore be unnecessary, the present invention being directed tothe novel adjustable control device for releasing the latch when theswitch plate has been withdrawn to release the clutch dog, which deviceis constructed, arranged and operated as follows:

A latch releasing lever is pivotally mount-- ed on an eccentric bushing19, one arm 20 of which lever engages the operating shaft 4 within acircumferential groove 21 in said shaft, across which groove the springpressed clutch dog 5 extends. The other arm 22 of the latch releasinglever engages a cam surface 23 on the latch 15.

The eccentric bushing 19 is rotatively mounted on the shank of a screwbolt 24:, said bushing being provided with a flange 25 outside the hubof the lever,the peripheral surface of which flange is preferablyknurled and provided with holes for facilitating the rotative adjustmentof the bushing to bring the contacting surfaces of the arms 20 and 22 ofthe lever into accurate position with respect to the operating shaft andthe latch and to compensate for wear on said parts. After suchadjustment the screw bolt 24; may be tightened to clamp the bushing inits rotativel adjust-ed position.

It will be understood that when the switch plate 6 is withdrawn by thelatch 15, the clutch dog is moved by its spring to clutch the shaft tothe drive wheel and at the same time it will form an abutment. in thesaid groove 21, so that as the shaft rotates the portion of the clutchdog located within the groove will come into engagement with the arm 20of the latch operating lever and swing it outwardly, thereby swingingthe arm 22 of the lever inwardly to release the latch from itsengagement with the switch plate and permit the switch plate to be movedinwardly by its springs, to slide the clutch dog out of its lockingengagement with the drive wheel and thereby disconnect the operatingshaft therefrom.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided a verysimple and effective means for ensuring the release of the latch fromthe switch plate to prevent the drive wheel from rotating the operatingshaft more than a single revolution, even though the treadle be helddepressed.

It is evident that various changes may be resorted to in theconstruction, form and arrangement of the several parts withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence, I do notwish to be limited to the particular embodiment herein shown anddescribed, but what I claim is 1. The combination with the drive wheel,the operating shaft, the clutch dog carried thereby by locking the shaftto the drive wheel and the reciprocating switch plate for operating thedog, of an abutment on the switch plate, a latch engaging said abutmentfor holding the switch plate out of operation, and a latch releasinglever having oppositely disposed arms, one of said arms being arrangedto be engaged by the dog in the rotation of the shaft and the other armlocated in position to coact with said latch, whereby the actuation ofthe first named arm will cause the other arm to throw the latch out ofengagement with the abutment on the switch plate.

2. The combinationwith the drive wheel, the operating shaft, the clutchdog carried thereby for locking the shaft to the drive wheel and thereciprocating switch plate for operating the dog, of an abutment on theswitch plate, a latch engaging said abutment for holding the switchplate out of operation, a latch releasing lever having oppositelydisposed arms, one of said arms being arranged to be engaged by the dogin the rotat-ion of the shaft and the other arm located in position tocoact with said latch, whereby the actuation of the first named arm willcause the other arm to throw the latch out of engagement with theabutment on the switch plate, and means for moving the latch releasinglever to adjust the position of the arms with respect to the dog andlatch.

3. The combination with the drive wheel, the operating shaft, the clutchdog carried thereby for locking the shaft to the drive Wheel and theswitch plate for operating the dog, of an abutment on the switch plate,a latch engaging said abutment for operating the switch plate, a latchreleasing lever operated by the dog in the rotation of the shaft forthrowing the latch out of engagement with the abutment on the switchplate, and means for adjusting the position of the lever comprising arotatively adjustable eccentric bushing on which the lever is pivotallymounted. I

f. The combination withthe drive wheel, the operating shaft, the clutchdog carried thereby for locking the shaft to the drive wheel and theswitch plate for operating the dog, of an abutment on the switch plate,a latch engaging said abutment for operating the switch plate, a latchreleasing lever operated by the dogin the rotation of the shaft forthrowing the latch out of engagement with the abutment on the switchplate, means for adjusting the position of the lever comprising arotatively adjustable eccentric bushing on which the lever is pivotallymounted, and means for clamping the bushing in its adjusted position.

5. The combination with the drive wheel, the operating shaft, theclutchdog carried thereby for locking the shaft to the drive wheel and theswitch plate for operating the dog, of an abutment on the switch plate,a latch engaging said abutment for operating the switch plate, a latchreleasing lever operated by the dog in the rotation of the shaft forthrowing the latch out of engagement with the abutment on the switchplate, means for adjusting the position of the lever comprising arotatively adjustable eccentric bushing on which the lever is pivotallymounted, and means for clamping the bushing in its adjusted positioncomprising a screw bolt on which the bushing is mounted.

6. The combination with the drive wheel, the operating shaft, the clutchdog carried thereby for locking the shaft to the drive wheel and theswitch plate for operating the dog, of an abutment on the switch plate,a latch engaging said abutment for operating the switch plate, and alatch releasing lever, one arm of which engages the latch and the otherarm of which is located in position to be moved by the dog in therotation of the shaft for throwing the latch out of engagement with theabutment on the switch plate.

7 The combination with the drive wheel, the operating shaft, the clutchdog carried thereby for locking the shaft to the drive wheel and theswitch plate for operating the dog, of an abutment on the switch plate,a latch engaging said abutment for operating the switch plate, andalatch releasing lever, one arm of which has a cam enga ement with thelatch and the other arm of W iich is located in postition to be moved bythe dog in the rotation of the shaft for throwing the latch out ofengagement with the abutment on the switch plate.

8. The combination with the drive wheel, the operating shaft having acircumferential groove therein, a clutch dog carried by the shaft forlocking the shaft to the drive wheel and a switch plate having a camengagement with the dog within said groove for operating the dog, of anabutment on the switch plate, a latch engaging said abutment foroperating the switch plate and a latch releasing lever, one arm of whichengages the latch and the other arm of which is located in the groove inposition to be engaged and rocked by the dog in the rotation of theshaft for throwing the latch out of engagement with the abutment on theswitch plate.

9. The combination with the drive wheel, the operating shaft having acircumferential groove therein, a clutch dog carried by the shaft forlocking the shaft to the drive wheel and a switch plate having a camengagement with the dog within said groove for operating the dog, of anabutment on the switch plate, a latch engaging said abutment foroperating the switch plate, and a latch releasing lever, one arm ofwhich has a cam engagement with the latch and the other arm of which islocated in the groove in position to be engaged and rocked by the dog inthe rotation of the shaft for throwing the latch out of engagement withthe abutment on the switch plate.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name this 26th day of June, 1924.

HERMAN OSSWALD.

